WASHINGTON - The Federal Election Commission is releasing seven
more Administrative Fines cases with $11,625 in civil money
penalties, bringing to 297 the number of cases made public with $407,261
in fines collected. In addition, there are numerous cases in various stages of the
Administrative Fines process. Closed Administrative Fines case files are available in the
FEC's Press and Public Records offices.

The Administrative Fine Program, authorized by Congress in 1999 in response to a
legislative recommendation made by the FEC (see News Release May 31, 2000), has a twofold
purpose: to free critical Commission resources for more important and complex enforcement
efforts, and to reduce the number of financial reports filed late or not at all. The
Administrative Fines Program encompasses a range of civil money penalties set high enough
to discourage committees from considering them an acceptable 'cost of doing business', but
not so high as to be exorbitant.

Civil money penalties will be determined by the number of days late, the amount of
financial activity involved, and any prior penalties for reporting violations. Election
sensitive reports (reports and notices filed prior to an election) will receive higher
penalties.

*Late filers are those committees filing reports after the due date, but within
30 days of the due date and/or filing election sensitive reports after due date, but prior
to four days before election. Non-filers are committees that have either not filed a
report or filed a report after the parameters outlined above.